Hyundai Mobis has taken a big stake in China-based computer vision specialist Deep Glint, signalling the growing importance of AI and biometrics in the automotive sector.

Deep Glint specializes in AI-driven facial, body, and behavioral recognition; and in a statement announcing the investment, Hyundai Mobis said the startup’s technology can identify one in a billion faces from a distance of 50 meters in less than a second.

In announcing its investment in the firm, Hyundai Mobis indicated that it’s primarily interested in Deep Glint’s face biometrics capabilities. The company, which supplies automotive parts not only to Hyundai but also Kia and Genesis Motors, suggested it will use facial recognition for vehicle access, and will implement face biometrics technology to personalize in-car settings and infotainment based on a user’s facial expressions.

The company also suggested that face biometrics could be used to look for signs of driver attentiveness and drowsiness in order to trigger alerts, an area in which Hyundai Mobis has already been experimenting on its own.

The Deep Glint investment is valued at $5 million, and reflects a broader trend as the automotive sector increasingly embraces AI and biometric technologies. It’s part of a larger startup investment program aimed at securing “core future vehicle technologies by 2021,” Hyundai Mobis’s announcement said.